Prevent the Summer Slide!

Summer vacation! What every student and teacher looks forward to throughout the year. A time for sleeping in, playing outside for hours, taking trips, swimming, biking, boating, and so much more. For students school is over and therefore so are any school related activities. However it is critical that parents take the opportunity in the summer to keep kids in some kind of academic routine to help them maintain skills, target areas of weakness, and engage in unique learning opportunities. Research has shown that students lose skills over the summer if they do not engage in any academic activities. Here are a few ways to prevent the “summer slide” for your child:

1. Maintain routine and structure so that the transition back into a rigid school schedule is as smooth as possible.
2. Make sure your child is reading and listening to good literature. Have them read to themselves, read out loud, listen to audio books alone and with you to discuss new vocabulary and develop higher level thinking skills.
3. Students with Dyslexia or a learning disability in the area of reading continue with a structured Orton-Gillingham approach. If possible increase the frequency for faster gains. Take advantage of the summer time  when they don’t have other academic commitments.
4. Continue to reinforce mathematical computational skills during summer vacation along with key concepts learned the previous school year. A typical student loses approximately two months of grade level equivalency in mathematical skills during the summer.
5. Use family trips and adventures to teach new skills, create memorable experiences, and provide fun, hands-on learning opportunities.

For more information and tutoring opportunities in Summit County feel free to email Lindsay Lesch at academicascents@gmail.com